Darkness Before Dawn
by Takada Saiko
Summary: Pre-Thor, two-shot. Loki has always suffered from rather vivid nightmares, but when they start to come alive, Thor just may have to save his little brother from himself. Co-written with Gabrielle Day. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I tend to weave a tangled web of a whole new world when I write for a new series. I have a bad habit of it, and Gabrielle Day is gracious enough to allow me my druthers on that particular bit. This is, as the others, connected to our series of Thor and Loki fics, and it introduces a villain that will be working his/her/its (no spoilers!) way through the web of stories. This is pre-Thor movie, and I think we decided they are the equivalent of upper teens. Co-written with Gabrielle Day, of course.

Just a little background on this, it actually sparked from a Loki twitter feed that I follow (who knew twitter could be a source of inspiration?) It said: "#WhenIWasAKid I went through a time in which I accidently manifested my literally had to protect me against myself at night." I just about died, texted Gabrielle Day, and it was decided that this would have to be tossed into our queue of stories. So, thank you, Lokiluscious whoever you are! =P

Enjoy!

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**Darkness Before Dawn**

Thor hummed happily to himself as he made his way down the hallways of the palace back to his bed chambers. The lamps were lowly lit, and there wasn't a soul in sight. It was one of Thor's favorite times to roam the place, when there was no one to chide him or remind him of lessons or practices or to make nice with someone's daughter (usually his mother's prodding with that uncomfortable you'll-need-a-queen-one-day glare) or someone's son (usually his father's insistence with his stern you'll-need-allies-to-be-a-good-king look) or other nonsense. He frowned, patting his hip and realized his sword sheath was empty. "Damn." He muttered. He'd have to go back for it in the morning.

Rounding the corner, still humming to himself, he stopped short in surprise to see his brother sitting on the floor outside of his door, asleep and propped against the door frame looking for all the world like he'd been there for quite some time. "Loki?" he called, surprise overriding the thought that he might be able to sneak up on the clever one for once.

Loki startled, green eyes blinking sleepily awake. As Thor drew closer he had a better view in the shafts of moonlight from the window of his brother. His face was drawn, there were dark circles under both eyes and he looked very much like he were trying to come up with something that he couldn't quite grasp. It was a very funny look on the quick-witted mischief-maker's face.

"What are you doing here?" Thor asked, tilting his head to one side.

Loki stumbled to his feet, the stiffness in his limbs attesting to the length that he had been sitting there. "I... What are you doing out here?"

"Coming back from Sif's," Thor answered without hesitation.

"I didn't need to know that," Loki grumbled.

"But you asked."

"And now I wish that I hadn't. Good night, Thor. I think I'll take my leave now."

Thor easily stopped him by grabbing his arm and pulling him back. "No. What are you doing out here? You've been asleep in my doorway. How long?"

Loki was less than pleased. "It matters not. I simply lost track of time. My most humble apologies to disturb your return to bed." He tried to pull away, but Thor refused and pulled him back again.

"No. First of all, you are not in possession of humble apologies, dear brother. Second of all, you don't lose track of time unless you're in the library. So, my question stands. What in the realms are you doing asleep on the floor outside of my room? You are a prince of Asgard, are you not?"

"Yes." Loki grumbled.

"You have been given rooms, have you not?"

"Yes."

"Are they occupied?"

"Yes." Loki said slyly. He grinned at Thor's surprised face. "What, this surprises you?"

Thor nodded. "Certainly. You are clearly not doing things correctly if your room is occupied without you in it."

Loki cursed his sleep-deprived mind. "Then I best be off," he managed and was pulled back again.

"Loki."

"I'm listening. Yes?" his younger brother replied with a charming smile. It was that smile that their mother said could win him anything he desired and often did.

"You're not leaving until you tell me what's going on."

The younger prince gave a sharp tug, not feeling his brother's grip budge. He might have gotten the cleverness of the family, but Thor most certainly received the vast majority of the strength. He sighed, resigning himself. "You must promise not to laugh," he mumbled quietly.

"Of course."

"And can't we move inside? I really would prefer not to have this discussion in the hallway."

"Ah. Sleeping in the hallway is a fit activity for a prince of Asgard, but conversations with one's brother are not." Thor said, nodding sagely.

Loki punched him lightly in the arm with his free hand. "Something like that, yes."

Thor grinned and opened his door, ushering his brother inside and shutting it behind him. The lamps in Thor's chamber were also set low, bathing the room in a soft golden light. Thor flopped unceremoniously onto the red comforter that covered his bed. "Well then?" he prompted.

Loki sat on the edge of the bed and sighed heavily. "I am making too much of this. I should just go."

Thor groaned. "Oh, come on, Loki. I already promised I would not laugh. Come! What troubles you so that you have taken to the halls in the dead of night?"

He glanced back, the shadows casting an eerie light on his pale face. "Do you remember when we were small and I used to have those horrible nightmares?"

"Of course. You always ended up in my bed crying."

"I was not crying."

"You were."

Loki waved his hand as if it didn't matter. "Regardless, you remember the incident."

Thor nodded, trying to stay on topic as best as he could. It was late and he and Sif had been dinking, which always led to an easily distracted prince of Asgard.

"They're back, or, rather, they are more intense than they were."

Thor sighed heavily. "Dreams still frighten you, brother?"

"You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"I am not laughing. Merely...observing." Thor said, unable to hide a smile.

Loki reddened and stood. "Telling you was clearly a mistake on my part. I'll amuse you no further."

Thor reached out and grabbed his wrist, tugging him back into sitting on the bed. "No, no, no, Loki, please don't leave." the blond god rolled onto his back, so that he could look up at his brother with his most repentant face. He leaned his head against the side of Loki's knee. "Forgive me? You know how easily I can get carried away. How long have you been having these dreams again?"

Loki raised a thin eyebrow at his brother's beseeching, almost innocent expression. It was a very good face, one that Loki would almost fall for, if he fell for that sort of thing. And the most unfortunate part was that the expression was genuine. Thor was never anything but genuine. "I don't think they ever fully went away, but now they are stronger. I have read of sorcerer's who can project their dreams into reality. I...I think that may be what is happening, accidentally. They certainly do not feel like dreams."

"Feel?" Thor asked, suddenly sitting up to look at his brother closely. "Have they harmed you?" This stiffness in the younger god's movements now caused him worry as he reached out, hands ready to probe for sign of injury before Loki slinked just out of his reach.

"It's nothing," he murmured.

"Have they harmed you?" Thor repeated more forcefully. The look he received answered his question for him. "Why didn't you come to me before this? I could have-"

"Could have what, Thor? Rushed in to save me? I seem to be doing this to myself, and I dare say you'd be no match for this."

"Well, they're just your illusions, aren't they?"

"Yes... and no. My illusions can't cause actual harm. They're not solid, but this..." He sighed, falling so that he was lying on the bed. "I haven't slept well in a fortnight."

Thor propped himself on one elbow, wishing greatly to push at his brother to see if he was hiding any greater injury, but knowing he'd get whacked or have to stop Loki from leaving for his trouble. He frowned. "Why haven't you come to me before this? Even if there is nothing I can do, you could have told me."

Loki was surprised by the hurt in his brother's voice. "Oh don't look so sad about it. I don't tell you everything. I am allowed to have some parts of my life that are my own, just as you do." the green eyed boy said.

"I have nothing to hide."

"Maybe you should." Loki said wryly.

"What happens, when you, what is it? When you project these dreams?" Thor asked.

"Mostly shadows. Large and looming... faceless, but you know there's something horrible behind it. Everything in the room goes cold."

"Have you tried a sleeping drought?"

"No, that wouldn't do."

Thor rolled his eyes and took in the image of his exhausted brother. "And you say that my pride makes me foolish," he grumbled.

"Not everything is about pride," Loki responded quietly.

Thor sat for a moment, thinking. "Well, if you won't take something, then perhaps a drink of wine will help ease you to sleep." He was on his feet before Loki could stop him, moving out of the main bedchambers and after something.

"It's not the falling asleep that is the issue," Loki called after him. "It's what comes for me once sleep takes hold," he murmured to the empty room, green eyes flickering back and forth to each wall and each shadow that resided there.

Thor reappeared, two goblets in hand and gave one to Loki. "Here. A bit of the best wine in Asgard will help."

Loki seriously considered declining the cup, but shrugged and accepted. Thor took a long drink from his and Loki followed suit. He watched Thor move around the bed to place his cup down on a table. "You can stay here tonight, brother." Thor said with a grin. "I will slay your shadows."

Loki rolled his eyes and was alarmed when the room kept spinning after the motion. He tried to stand and lurched precariously to one side, nearly spilling his wine.

Thor took the cup from him. "Are you all right?" Thor asked.

Loki glared up at him. "No. You wouldn't be that clever."

"What are you talking about, Loki? What's wrong with you?" Thor asked.

Loki tried to stand again but collapsed back to the bed, his head sliding traitorously towards the pillow.

"Must be that lack of sleep catching up with you." Thor said easily. "You don't know what you've done, you idiot. This will make it harder to-" Loki's warning was lost as he drifted off to sleep.

Thor grinned sat on the bed next to him. "You'll thank me later." he promised.

He tried to stay awake, really he did, but the lateness of the night and his earlier rounds of drinking with the goddess of war began to pull at him and Thor resigned himself to stretching out on the bed next to his brother. He missed this, sometimes, those innocent moments when they weren't bickering or insulting each other as siblings no longer in youth and yet not quite to adulthood were wont to do. He wasn't sure when they had begun acting so, but sometime – perhaps in the last couple of centuries or so – Loki had begun to sink back from their usual friends. Well, Thor's usual friends, but surely his baby brother knew that he was always welcome with them. Thor sighed as he felt sleep tugging his eyes closed.

* * *

Thor awoke some time later to the sound of struggles. He blinked his eyes open, trying to remember why there was someone else in his bed. Loki. Loki had come to him for help. Blue eyes latched onto the form of his brother. The younger god's face was contorted as if he were fighting with all his might against something and he let out a pained whimper in his sleep.

Thor pulled himself up on his elbows, frowning at the pain in his brother's expression. Loki never showed himself to be in pain, or any kind of hurt. Thor could make him irritated and angry -and did, often- and he could on occasion be great fun. But he never seemed hurt even when Thor was certain he had gone too far. He reached out and brushed dark hair out of Loki's face. His younger brother whimpered again and Thor took his shoulder. "Loki." he called gently. "Loki, you're dreaming. Wake up."

There was a sudden chill in the room and Loki let out a small cry, grasping at Thor's arm. The blond let his eyes travel up to the wall behind his brother to find a shadow there that did not belong to either of them. It loomed, angry and menacing, but still relatively flat against the wall.

"Loki! I believe you now! Wake up!" Thor nearly shouted, watching the darkened creature take a more physical form as it peeled itself from the wall. It seemed to blink, ruby eyes staring intently and it reached out with a shadow-dagger aimed right for him. Thor gave his brother one final, hard shake and Loki's green eyes opened and he gasped awake.

For a split second Thor felt relief, but his quick eye caught the shadow still in motion. He dragged Loki back as the shadow dagger slashed down at them. "Loki?" Thor asked, concern lacing his voice.

"I warned you, but you never listen!" Loki gasped.

"Well you're awake now, make it stop."

"You're still not listening." Loki growled.

"How do you kill a shadow?" Thor asked.

Loki blinked, the last of the sleeping draught wearing away. "That's actually the right question. Light! We need light!"

Thor went for the lamp first, but the shadow caught wind of his movements and he was tossed across the room as easily as a child throwing a ball. The tumbled once before landing hard and Loki called his name. The only response he received was a choking sound and he could just make out the shadow's wispy hands throttling his elder brother. "Thor!"

"Lamp!" the elder choked out.

It was out. The fire had burned too low as they slept and he would need to spark it. The young sorcerer looked around for anything he could use.

"Any time, Loki!" Thor yelled as best he could, trying to fight something he could not.

Loki took a deep breath. He had never done well with fire magic, but there didn't seem to be any other way. Quietly, quickly he murmured words that he never bothered with. A puff of smoke was all that he was rewarded with and he felt the panic begin to set in.

Loki could hear his brother's strangled breathing and he tried again, forcing his fear into focus. The lamp ignited, almost too much and Loki slumped back partially in exhaustion and partially in relief. "It worked." he whispered.

Thor groaned from the floor, rolling onto his back.

Loki went to him. "Are you all right?" he asked, fingers going to his brother's neck. The skin there was already bruising.

He gasped for several more moments and they were silent until he gathered both his breath and his wits about him. "When you said... I didn't expect... What _was_ it? What do you dream about, brother?"

Loki's gaze fell to the floor. "Horrible things," he confessed quietly. "Are you hurt badly?"

"No, I'm alright. What took you so damn long?"

"You know I'm no good with fire magic and the lamp had gone out completely."

"With all your many talents, why does it have to be that one you lack in?"

"Or keeping my dreams to myself?"

"Or that too." Thor sighed, sitting up and rubbing his neck gingerly. His skin was cold to his own touch and he couldn't stop himself from shivering. He glanced at his brother. The younger prince looked exhausted and dejected as he sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes trained on some fascinating spot on the rug and unable to meet his elder's gaze. Thor reached a hand out to Loki's shoulder, causing the other to jump slightly. "No more sleeping drought, is that so?"

A hint of a smile came to Loki's face. "That would be for the best."

"Stay here for the rest of the night anyway. Dawn is still hours away and I do not wish you to be alone should these things come again." Thor said warily.

The lamp flickered and both brothers froze, watching the light as if entranced. "Surely the shadows would not overcome light." Loki murmured.

"Your shadows could." Thor said.

Thor lit a second and then a third lamp, and finally a candle just to make himself feel better. They sat themselves back on the bed and the room seemed ablaze with light for the briefest of moments and the candle snuffed out on its own. "We could sleep in the hall?" Thor offered. "That seemed to work for you."

"I think they follow me," Loki murmured. His eyes focused suddenly on something just behind his brother, causing Thor to blink in question and then to spin around so quickly he nearly fell off the bed. He found nothing there but one of his lamps, still ablaze, and Loki huffed a laugh.

"That's not funny!" Thor roared, taking a swing that his younger brother easily avoided.

"Your face was rather priceless," Loki assured him. The smile remained even as Thor grumbled until he felt something snake around his bare foot. Loki looked just in time to feel himself slide off the bed, his brother's name on his lips.

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TBC

A/N: I just wanted to take a moment to really thank our regular reviewers (as well as those that are new, too, we love you as well!). I think one of the toughest things as a writer, at least for me, is the fact that I might put all the work in the world into my novel or my short, and if I plan to publish it I really don't feel comfortable posting it anywhere, therefore I don't *really* know if it's any good. Everyone here leaves such kind words of encouragement and praise that it always makes my day (and Gabrielle Day's as well, so I'll speak for her =P). I've actually run into people here and there - very rarely, but it has happened - that have read Gabrielle Day's and my works over the years, and somehow the topic of conversation turns to it and it's that fantastic moment when you can put a face to a reader and a face to the writer. We really do adore you all. Thank you for your time and your response. It's always a brilliant moment in our day!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: They say you learn something every day. The thing I learned today is never give me a spoiler, I will spoil it for everyone else. *sigh*

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Thor watched as his brother slid off the bed with surprised cry and crossed his arms. "I am not falling for that." he grumbled.

Loki's strangled cry of his name made him look anyway, and as the lamps began to dim again, icy fear flooded the young thunder god. "No!" he exclaimed, leaping forward and taking the creature to the ground. It was, as Loki had said, surprisingly solid for supposedly being shadow and it was more difficult to prize it off his brother than he would have hoped.

Loki sputtered under its grasp and the shadow landed a solid blow against Thor, throwing him back across the room. Everything went eerily quiet then and the dark haired Asgardian stopped struggling. The lights dimmed even further as Thor pulled himself up, rubbing his jaw. "Loki?" he called, afraid when his brother showed no signs of moving. Surely it had not done him in so quickly or easily. "Loki!

"Stay away," Loki hissed, his voice unnaturally strained.

Thor did no such thing and scurried forward on hands and knees. "What happened? Are you injured?"

Loki shoved at him almost desperately. "Go! Get away, Thor...Thor..."

The blond scooted back slightly, hands raised. "Why?" he asked, confusion in his voice.

Loki laughed, but it was not the laugh Thor was used to hearing. "You don't know what you've done. You don't know what you've unleashed tonight."

Thor's blood ran cold and a burst of magic left his brother, slamming him back. Pain radiated all through him and he tried to pick himself up off the ground and found that he could not. He didn't know his brother was... so powerful. He'd never seen him use a technique like that even when some of the other warriors harassed him into the arena to spar. He was quick, agile, and used his skills mostly on the defensive.

"Poor little prince," the shadow within Loki sneered. "You really do have no idea, do you?"

"Release my brother!"

"Or what?"

Thor hesitated. He could not attack while whatever was happening was using Loki to manifest itself. "What is it that you want?" he asked, backing away. He would have to stay out of reach. He would not attack his brother.

"So many things to choose from. Your brother has the most terrifying dreams. They are most delicious. I wonder what your dreams are like. Surely not as grandiose, but perhaps you will surprise me."

The voice coming from his brother's mouth gave Thor chills and he continued to back away as Loki approached him. "Stay back." Thor warned. "Loki is stronger than you can imagine."

Loki smiled, and it was twisted and foreign. "Not strong enough." A thin hand reached out for him and Thor gasped.

Loki fell to his knees, energy diminished with the exiting of the shadow. He choked and gasped, finally feeling control come back to him. "Thor?" he managed, green eyes frightened as he looked up at his brother's looming form. "What an interesting mind!" the shadow said with his brother's lips. "Not quite as dull as you'd believe. You just have to dig a little deeper."

"Let him go!"

"Funny, he said the same about you."

"What could you possibly want with him?" Loki cried.

Thor laughed. "It will be much more entertaining to destroy you from here, that is for certain."

"I don't understand. Why destroy me? I don't even know who or what you are. What have I done to deserve such contempt and such measures?"

"You don't know me yet, but you may someday and that will be very dangerous indeed. Better to stave that off now while you are still a child and nothing more than a buzzing bee to be swatted into submission. It will also be quite enjoyable to see how this one reacts when he opens his eyes to find your broken neck between his hands. Oh, he didn't like that. He's actually fighting me. How quaint."

"If he's fighting you, he'll win. Thor never loses a fight," Loki said with confidence. He felt power gather in his hand, words whispered in his mind. "And if you're going against us both, you'd never stand a chance!"

The room exploded in light and Thor dropped to his knees. Loki caught him to the best of his ability, his thin frame not easily able to take the bulkier weight. "Thor? Brother, can you hear me?"

Thor clutched at him weakly. "Loki? Loki, did I hurt you?" the blond's head snapped up quickly when he realized he was free. His blue eyes were wide with fear. "Gods, did I hurt you?" he repeated.

Loki shook his head and let out a shaky breath of relief. "No, no you did not. He said you were fighting, so -ah- I amplified your efforts a bit. You may experience a migraine in a few minutes. It shouldn't last terribly long."

Thor quirked an eyebrow. "A migraine. I believe I shall survive. Where is the bastard?" he growled. "I'll have him, now that he's not hiding within one of us."

"I think I've bought us some time to think of a more permanent solution to the problem," Loki answered, glancing around warily. There was no way that the shadow would be able to regroup itself so quickly, but they must hurry if they were to find some way to stop it.

"So what is it?" Thor asked, already beginning to hold his head gingerly.

"I have no idea," his brother said after a length. "I've tried nothing new recently, not that would have an effect of this magnitude."

"Could one of your old teachers tell you what it is?"

Loki snorted. "Most of them aren't overly fond of me. I surpassed them all so quickly... No. They could not." He thought, running over various moments of his life in intricate detail since the dreams had started to amplify. Two weeks. It had begun nearly two weeks ago. There had been a feast, a dance, he had gone with Thor to the market where his brother's favorite blacksmith still worked out of even though he now crafted the swords of the prince of Asgard. He had looked over a few scrolls, some tomes, and had finally bought a small trinket for their mother to surprise her with. "There's been nothing strange in the past fortnight," he said at last, sighing in a defeated manner.

"There must have been something." Thor insisted. "Have you played any great tricks on anyone recently? Someone that might have gone to one of your not-overly-fond-of-you former tutors? Brought something home that you don't know the origins of? You've read nothing new? Quoted something aloud that might turn into a spell?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Not everything I read aloud turns into a spell. That was once, honestly. And no, I haven't read anything aloud recently that could even have the remote possibility of turning into a shadow sorcerer." He mulled it over in his mind, secretly impressed at all the possibilities his brother had come up with. "The only thing I've purchased lately was a gift for mother." he said, thinking of the stall in the market again.

"From that strange fellow?"

"It was a woman."

"Yes, but there's always a man there. He's spoken to you before."

Loki shook his head, showing that he didn't remember one lone man's face amidst all the people in the market. "It couldn't be that, anyway."

"Why not?"

"I checked it."

"Well, I know that you don't think me as bright as you, brother, but wouldn't it stand that if whatever is attacking you can best you, it could hide something that you could not sense?"

Loki stopped and stared. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check it."

"Wouldn't want to give Mother a cursed necklace, would you?"

"No, I imagine I'd never live that one down."

The brothers stumbled to their feet, Thor already showing signs of the headache worsening as Loki had warned. He leaned heavily on his smaller brother, but refused to wait behind.

They made a very brief stop to Sif's room so Thor could collect his sword. "My actual sword. The one I left here." he said, putting on his most charming smile.

"You brought your brother here at this time of night? Are you serious?" Sif asked, leaning on the doorjamb with her arms crossed.

"Thor was afraid to come back by himself. You know how he is about the dark." Loki said, managing to keep a straight face.

Thor shoved his shoulder, looking cross. "My sword, please, Sif. My actual sword."

"Quit clarifying!" Loki exclaimed, exasperated.

Sif returned the sword with a glare and the slamming of her door.

The brothers headed on, Thor growling at Loki's ill contained laughter. When they arrived, Loki pushed open the door of his chambers and the brothers stared into the darkness within. "Didn't think to leave a light on, eh?" Thor asked wryly.

"Unfortunately, I did as a matter of fact." Loki replied.

"Ah."

They stood together, simply staring. Thor peered into Loki's room, his eyes minimally adjusting to the darkness. He could just make out the shapes of the furniture, and he knew his brother's chambers well enough to know where everything should be. "Where's the necklace?" he asked. He reached up to rub the side of his temple for a moment.

Loki frowned in concern. "It's on the dresser."

"All right. I'll go for the necklace, you do the burst of light, I'll destroy it, we'll both go to sleep." Thor said.

"Sounds like a plan," his brother agreed and they stepped in together. He worked up a small ball of light that appeared in the palm of his hand. It wasn't fire magic, but it was close, and wouldn't last well on its own in such a weak state. Thor started for the dresser, spotting the pretty red stone that Loki had been prepared to give to their mother. Movement caught his eye and Thor's name was on his lips just as the shadow lashed out, knocking the sword from the blond's hands.

Thor fought back, fist connecting with the now solid shadow. The fact that he made contact did not surprise him nearly as much as the pained sound that came from his brother and the light suddenly going out. Thor saw Loki sprawled across the floor as if someone had laid him out and he was at his side instantly. "What happened?"

"It's connected," Loki whispered, sounding as stunned by the fact as Thor would be. They had both struggled with the shadow before, but they had never really been able to get a firm grip on it. Now that it was solidified it seemed to be drawing that from the young sorcerer, in turn using him as a kind of shield.

The shadow laughed from across the room. "Any harm you do to me, you do to your brother as well now."

"All right. All right, fine. I'll destroy the stone and then you'll be gone and this nonsense will be finished." Thor growled, picking up his sword again.

"Thor!" Loki called. The warning fell on deaf ears. Thor charged in, swinging his sword to the stone. It came down with a mighty crash and deflected off the gem. Thor was thrown back, but he did not drop his blade.

The shadow hissed in laughter. "Come again, little prince, mere swords will not fell this magic." The shadow charged, pulling its hands into the shape of daggers and rushed upon Thor as he righted himself. Thor pulled his sword behind him so it would not cut the creature and brought his other arm up to protect his neck, but he made no aggressive move towards it.

"You must fight it, Thor!"

"If I fight it, I'll harm you!" his brother argued.

"If you don't then we'll both die here." Loki looked around, his mind searching for an out. Anything. If he had time, he was sure that he could find a way, but as it stood they had nothing on their side. Only a sword and a bit of trickery. He made up his mind and cast the charm before he could outthink himself on it.

Thor's arm seemed to move against his will, the sword striking out at the shadow. The movement caught both prince and demon off guard, the sword glowing with enchantment as it ran the shadow through. Loki leaned back, feeling a numbness spread over him and his green tunic began to slowly change to crimson and he slid sideways to the cold, stone floor.

Thor's outraged and fearful cry was choked off as he withdrew the sword. The shadow swayed, hissing at both brothers before dissipating all together. In rage, Thor swung back the sword into Loki's dresser, shattering the stone into a thousand shards. With a sob he turned and fell to his knees next to Loki, curling over him and taking the cool hand that reached for him into his own. "How could you do it?" Thor demanded with a shudder. He kept one broad hand on Loki's back. "How could you do such a thing? Betray us both in such a manner?" he cried.

"What was I to do? He would have slain you." Loki said, green eyes searching for understanding and finding only hurt.

"One day we will both pay the price for you always making choices for me." Thor said.

Loki turned his face away, unable to look at his brother and pressed his forehead to the cold floor. He groaned softly and Thor relented his berating. "Oh, Loki. What can I do? I will fetch a healer. No, I will take you."

"No! Father must not know. The healers will tell him." Loki gasped.

Thor's face colored with anger again. "So you will have me sit here with you unto death?"

Loki had no answer for him. Thor squeezed his brother's hand. "Healing stones. Do you keep any here?"

The younger brother did not answer for a long moment, causing the elder to fear the worst when he had stilled. "Yes," he said at length, forcing his body to obey his commands as he lifted on hand to point to a set of drawers. "Top. Left. Maybe a half."

Thor shifted to stand and then stopped, blue eyes taking his brother in. Loki looked so much smaller the way he was now. He'd grown very pale in the darkened room, black hair standing out against whitening skin and lips tingeing blue with every shuttered gasp he drew in. He was trembling under Thor's strong hand. He would hate him until the end of time if he gave up here. If he caused Thor to be the one to harm him, the one who killed him. Thor was sure that his heart couldn't stand it. When he realized that his thoughts were idling away precious moments of Loki's draining life, he leaned down, kissed his shoulder, and went for the drawers.

He did not find the stone in the first drawer he looked in, pulling the contents out and spilling them on the dresser top. He cursed low under his breath, the oath vehement and Loki smiled lopsidedly. "Mother would not be pleased you knew that word."

"Mother would not be pleased you charmed a sword to slay a shadow attached to your life, either." Thor responded darkly.

Loki decided this was one of those rare instances where Thor's good humor would take longer than a few moments to restore. Thor savaged his other dresser drawer, finally seizing that for which he had been seeking. Clutching the stone in his fingers, he dashed back to his brother who had never taken his eyes off him. Thor gently eased him onto his back and pulled back the edges of Loki's tunic from the wound. It had been a well-placed blow, Thor noted bitterly. His strong hands did not take much application to turn the stone into dust, powdered over the gash. Loki's eyes fluttered closed as the magic set in.

Thor put one hand on either of Loki's cheeks and pressed his lips to his younger brother's brow.

Loki gasped a fresh breath in, green eyes fluttering open at last. He grit his teeth against the pain from the still-healing wound. "Damn," he growled out. The grimace turned to a forced laugh as he laid his head back against the stone floor of his room. "I can't believe we did that. Do you realize what we just defeated, Thor? That's a bit of sorcery that I've never even touched, and we defeated it." The grin that lit his eyes did not seem to be contagious as Thor continued to look sternly down at him. Loki did his best to ignore it. "Help me up, won't you?"

Thor nodded, still silent, and carefully helped Loki into a sitting position, and then to his feet when Loki waved him on to continue. As soon as Loki was propped against his own bedpost, Thor moved to pick up the scattered shards of the jewel. "It's quite a feat, you know." Loki tried again. "You'll be able to tell grand stories one day, when it won't get us in trouble." he added.

Thor remained silent, picking up the shards with his lean fingers. Some of the edges were catching his skin, but he didn't seem to notice the pricks of blood.

Loki reluctantly let go of the post he'd been holding onto and tried to go to his brother. "Thor?"

"I'll take these to my blacksmith and have them destroyed. He can melt anything, you know." Thor said.

The smaller god stopped, swaying a bit, and looked up at his brother. The air was cold between them and it felt worse than the wound. Thor never reacted in this way. If everyone came out alive from a situation and they defeated the enemy they had set out to defeat, he saw it as win. This cold, distant creature was something that Loki didn't understand. He reached a hand out, feeling the world pulsing in and out around him as he had moved to fast and lost too much blood.

Loki stumbled, but Thor moved faster, dropping his collected shards again to get to his brother. Thor caught him easily, cradling the dark head against his shoulder, unable to keep himself distant. "Gods, Loki." he muttered, his voice a muffled rumble against the trickster's hair.

Loki relaxed and trusted his brother to keep him upright. "Couldn't let the favorite son of Asgard get killed by a shadow." Loki said softly, with no malice.

"I am not the favorite son." It was an old argument, since they were children and their father would tell them the stories of old. Now the words were spoken like a rune, weaving the protection of familiarity and brotherhood around them tightly. Thor paused. "You would turn me into a shadow, then, never to sleep again with the image of cutting you down forever burned into my mind. It is not a kindness to spare one brother at the sacrifice of another."

"You wouldn't be a shadow, Thor. You're too bright, too cheerful on your own. You might be saddened for a while, and I thank you for that kindness, but in the end your memories would fade, as would the pain, and you would do your duty to our land as you were meant to do. I'm just the spare, anyway."

A small gasp escaped him as his brother suddenly crushed him to him. Loki could feel a dampness against his head and he struggled to look. At last, Thor pulled back to show tears trailing down his face and he looked hurt and angry and saddened all at once, as if he couldn't quite pick just one. "You're not a spare. Don't ever say that. You're my brother, and I will end anyone who says differently."

Loki's eyes stung and he was overcome with the sudden feeling that he might burst. He had always loved Thor, like a flower might love the sun it grew beneath, and he had always believed that Thor had a great deal of affection for him. He could no longer live in the way of thinking that he was just a companion of convenience, not with his mighty brother gripping him like he might slip away with the breeze and crying as he had not done -at least in front of anyone- in years. Loki reached up to thumb away some of his tears. "Thor..." he whispered.

Thor caught his hand and pressed the side of his face against the cool fingers, his eyes shut tightly to try and stop the tears.

"I never meant to bring you pain," Loki swore. "And it's all right. We're both here now. You see? We're both here. Little worse for the wear, but we are alive." He sniffed, resisting the urge to burry his face in his brother's tunic and cry. "Please don't be cross with me."

"Then don't ever put my life above your own again," Thor answered roughly.

"Only if you can swear the same in return." Silence met him, as he knew it would. A smile tugged his lips. "I have an alternative: Why don't we just try to keep each other alive? That'll be trial enough."

Thor smiled at this, ruffling dark locks affectionately.

Loki pulled away slightly. "So, after all this we have, what, a couple hours before sunrise?"

His brother glanced at the window. "Looks about right."

"Then I'm going to sleep. We can deal with those horrible shards later. They won't be any good to whoever owned them now."

Thor nodded and Loki sank onto the bed, peeling off his ruined tunic. The blond handed him a fresh shirt from his dresser and Loki thanked him.

Thor stood for a moment. "Do you think I could stay here tonight?" he asked suddenly.

Loki looked up, surprised. Never once in their childhood had Thor asked such a thing. It had always been Loki, from the time they were old enough for separate rooms, to run through the dark and tumble into Thor's chambers with tears in his eyes, asking for sanctuary. "In case I have bad dreams?" Loki asked, half joking.

"In case I do." Thor replied softly.

Touched, Loki nodded and tilted his head to indicate he should take the other side of the bed.

By unspoken agreement, they left the lamps at their dimmest, not daring to snuff them out completely. When his head was finally in blessed union with his pillow, Loki grinned. "What will you give me to not tell Sif?"

"Loki!"

* * *

END

A/N: I'm sorry I didn't get this up earlier. There were many distractions in my way... We'll blame the distractions, and the wine, and the distractions. Hope you enjoyed it! Gabrielle Day and I are working on the next one, so I'll get it out ASAP.

Much love.


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